Container for air transportation



March 4, 1969 P. H. RADEL ET AL 3,430,759

CONTAINER FOR AIR TRANSPORTATION Filed Dec. 5, 1967 I NV EN TOR-s SEYMOUR MARVIN Mull PHILIP HAROLD RADEI.

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A TTORME Y5 United States Patent 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A container for air freight has two rods translating therethrough substantially parallel to flat and inclined top surfaces. The rods are equidistant from the container side panels, and are aflixed to the top and rear container members for shock absorbing purposes. A plurality of pins are mounted on the rods to secure garments within the container.

Disclosure of invention This invention relates to air transportation and, more specifically, to an air freight container capable of absorbing relatively large shocks without fracturing and which may be loaded in a rapid and efiicient manner.

Containers for air freight are often made to specific outer dimensions in accordance with tariff schedules prescribed by the Civil Aeronautics Board. A prior art B container is shown in FIGURE 1, and comprises orthogonal side and bottom walls 13, 14, and 15. There is also included a flat top surface and an inclined top surface 11. A rotating securable door 19 is disposed adjacent to a front loading aperture.

Two or more garment hanging rods 20 and 22 have typically been included in prior art containers to traverse between the side walls 13 and 14, and have been secured thereto by various mounting fixtures. However, such prior art container organizations have been characterized by several disadvantages. First the rods 20 and 22, when heavily loaded and subjected to shocks during loading or flight, have fractured the container about one or both of the side mounting fixtures through tensional stresses. This destroys the container for future use, and often also damages the transported goods and/or encourages their pilferage. Then also, the front rod 20 renders loading of the rear rod 22 relatively diflicult. Further in this regard, the smooth, regular nature of the rods 20 and 22 permits a partial garment complement to shift during the loading process, thus further interfering with efficient garment handling. Finally, there is :much wasted space beneath the inclined topportion 11, a significant factor in the stringent economics of air transportation.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved air transport container.

More specifically, an object of the present invention is the provision of an air freight container which is capable of withstanding relatively heavy shocks, and which may be loaded in an easy and efficient manner.

The above and other objects, advantages and features of the present invention are depicted in an illustrative air cargo container depicted hereinbelow in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 illustrates a prior art cargo container as above discussed;

FIGURES 2 and 3 are side and front views of an air freight container made in accordance with the principles of the present invention, with FIG. 2 being partially cut away; and

FIGURE 4 depicts the container of FIGS. 2 and 3 loaded with a partial complement of goods.

Referring now to FIGURES 2 through 4, there is ICC shown an air freight container 30 illustratively of the B-2 size accepted for use in Civil Aeronautics Board Tariif 95 beginning Feb. 7, 1968. This container is onehalf the size of the B structure of FIG. 1, but is depicted in the drawing as being approximately of like size for purposes of clarity. The B-2 container 30 includes side panel surfaces 34 and 36, a rear panel 35, a bottom surface 33, flat and inclined top members 32 and 37, and a rotatable door 39. The door 39 has mounted thereon latching apparatus 38a of any conventional type which selectively cooperates with corresponding elements 38b mounted on the container side 36.

Included within the container 30, and running from the front to rear thereof, are two rods 40 and 42 spaced approximately equidistant from the container sides 34 and 36. More specifically, we have found that optimum garment loading is effected when the spacings 85 and 88 between the rods 40 and 42 and the container side panels 36 and 34 are maintained in the range of 8-12 inches. The rods 40 and 42 respectively include front portions 40a and 42a which are substantially parallel to the container top surface 32, and rear portions 40b and 42b which are substantially parallel to the inclined member 37.

The rod 40 is secured to the surface 32 by mounting brackets and 52 and further secured to the container rear panel 35 by a bracket 54 preferably terminating at an element 55 having an expanded flange portion. The rod 42 is similarly secured to the container members through mounting elements 60, 62, 64 and 65.

When the rods 40 and 42 are loaded as described hereinafter, shock forces impressed thereon during loading or flight are internally distributed 'by the convex shaped rods to the associated three mounting brackets, with emphasis on a compressive force applied by the rear brackets 54 and 64 to the mounting flange members 55 and 65. In particular, this compressive force is distributed throughout the relatively large area of the mounting flanges 55 and 65. Correspondingly, the tensional stress in the above-described prior art containers are applied solely to the container material surrounding the rod securing fasteners, i.e., about several screws, bolts or the like. This force distribution permits the container 30 embodying the principles of the present invention to absorb much larger shock stresses without rupturing than was the case for prior art containers.

Mounted along the length of each of the rods 40 and 42 are a plurality of pins 44. Relatively large garments suspended by hangers may be directly hung over the rods 40 and 42 between the pins 44, with the number of garments between any two pins varying in accordance with their thickness. Since rods 40 and 42, and the pins 44 thereon, traverse the entire depth of the container 30', the entire volume thereof is efiiciently utilized. Also, the container 30 may readily be loaded, starting from the rear portion thereof, without interference by any ro.d(s) traversing from side to side in the front portion of the container 30. Further, the pins 44 prevent any undesirable shifting of a partial complement of goods during loading or carriage.

In accordance with one aspect of our invention, a plurality of cords are suspended "betweeen the pins 44, with the number of cords between any two pins depending upon the relative thickness of goods. Each cord 70 comprises two contiguous strands periodically knotted to define a plurality of loops. The upper loop is large enough so that the cord may be shifted over the pins 44 to effect the desired cord density and distribution. One or more garment carrying hangers may then be inserted in selected loops of each strand, as shown in FIG. 4. Accordingly, when garments shorter than the height of the container 30 are to be transported, the entire volume of the container 30 may be efliciently utilized. Also, any assortment of heterogeneous size garments may be conveyed by selectively utilizing the great plurality of cord loops to ensure complete use of the container volume.

Thus, the container 30 employing the principles of the present invention has been shown by the above to be capable of absorbing relatively large shocks while preserving its physical integrity, and to be subject to loading in a relatively easy and convenient manner while efliciently utilizing all available container volume.

The above-described arrangement is only illustrative of the principles of the present invention. Numerous modifications thereof will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, the teachings of the present invention may 'be used with other cargo containers such as the larger B size structures. In such case, the rods would be adjusted equidistant from each other while maintaining a spacing in the range 16-24 inches for optimum loading, while the end rods would be 8-12 inches from the side members. Also, containers embodying the above concepts could be used for truck or rail shipment.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination in an arrangement for conveying air freight, a B-2 air freight container including two side surfaces, a rear surface, and fiat and inclined top surfaces, two rods traversing through said container, each of said rods including one portion substantially parallel to said fiat top surface and a second portion substantially parallel to said inclined top surface, and means for mounting each of said rods in the range 8-12 inches from said container side surfaces, said mounting means including first bracket means for aflixing each of said rods to said container top surface and second means for affixing an end of said rods to said container rear surface.

2. A combination as in claim 1 further including a plurality of pins affixed to each of said rods.

3. A combination as in claim 2 further comprising a plurality of cords each having a plurality of loops therein suspended from said rods.

4. A combination as in claim 3 wherein said means for mounting said rods to said container rear surface includes flange means.

5. In combination in an arrangement for conveying freight, a container including side surfaces, a rear surface, and fiat and inclined top surfaces, a plurality of rods traversing through said container, means for afiixing said rods beneath said container top surfaces, each of said rods comprising a first portion substantially parallel to said flat top surface and a second portion substantially parallel to said inclined top surface, said affixing means including means for mounting said rods approximately equidistant from each other with a spacing in the range 16- 24 inches, and for mounting the end rods substantially equidistant from said side surfaces with a spacing in the range 812 inches.

6. A combination as in claim 5 further comprising a plurality of pins included on each of said rods.

7. A combination as in claim 6 further comprising a plurality of cords each having a plurality of loops therein suspended from said rods.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS MARTHA L. RICE, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 312321 

